Electric clock.



G. BLUMBERG AND 1. AI BUTKUS.

ELECTRIC CLOCK. APPLICATION HLED DEC.23- 1915- RENEWED FEB.11l9l9,

:1 ,3 1 2,946 Patented Aug. 12,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Mr M I mum GUSTAV BLUMBERG AND JOHN A. BUTKUS, OF BALTI MORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed December 23, 1915, Serial No. 68,415. Renewed February 1, 1919. Serial No. 274,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV BLUMBERG and JOHN A. BUTKUS, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Clocks, (Case F and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper' tains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to electric clocks.

One object of our invention is to provide an electric clock in which the time train can be readily disconnected from the elecbe so constructed that the instant at. which the circuit is broken by the circuit closer can be varied by a simple adjustment, in

. faces which come together may be varied. so as to provide new contacting surfaces nism of our improved clock, the circuit;

which the force with which the contacting surfaces come together may be varied, and in which the portions of the contacting surwhen said surfaces wear.

These and-other objects of our invention will be explained in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which j Figure 1, is a front view of the mechacloser being in the closed position, certain features of the 'time train and the'source' of electricity being omitted;

Fig. 2, is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in said figure, certain' features of the time train therein shown, being omitted;

Fig. 3, is a front view of certain features of our improved clock, the front plate .of the time train and other features thereof being omitted Fig. 4, is a front view of the electromagnetic mechanlsm of our improved clock;

- front plate 15.

studs 17 are provided with t reads and nuts Fig. 5, is a side view of Fig. A, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in said figure;

F1g. 6, is a front view of the time train detached from the electro-magnetic mechanism, certain features of the time train, including the ratchet wheel 28, being omitted; Fig. 7, is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrow 7 in said figure; Fig. 8, is a view of a coupling pin which is used for a purpose hereinafter explained;

Fig. 9, is a bottom view of the circuit closer, looking in the direction of the arrow 9, in Fig. 1;

Fig. 10, is an enlarged view of part of our circuit closer; and

Fig. 11, is a view of the wire attached to the pallet of the escapement, looking in the direction of the arrow 11, in Fig. -7

Fig. 12, is a diagram of the connections of my improved clock.

In the drawings 15' and 16 represent respectively the front and rear plates whit'h support the time train of our improved clock. To the rear plates 16, three studs 17-17-17 are riveted. The front ends of these studs are reduced in diameter and pass through holes in the The end ortions of the 18-18'-18, screwed-on said threads, secure the front plate 15 to the studs 17. Bearing pieces such as 19-19 secured to the front and rear plates 15 and 16 of the clock train support the pintle 20 to which the pallet 21 is attached.

The wire 22, (see Figs. 7 and 11), is secured to the pintle 20. It extends down wardly and toward the rear and isprovided with a fork 23, which is adapted to embrace the pendulum wire 24. The pendulum. wire 24 is secured at'its upper end in a bracket 25, and the latter is secured to the leg 26 of the frame of the electro-magnetic mechanism, hereinafter referred to. .The time train is formed of any approved combination of gearing, and to the last pintle 27 of the time train a ratchet wheel 28 is secured in any approved manner. The

pintle 27 and all other pintles of the time (rain are revolu'bly mounted in holes provided in the plates 15 and 16. and said pin are provided with the usual shoulders to prevent side play. Revolubly mounted upon the pintle 27 there is provided a soft iron armature 29. suitable shoulder bearings being provided on the pintle 27 to prevent side play of said armature 29. A spring 30, connected to screws 31 and 32 secured to the armature 29 and the back plate 16 respectively, serves to give the armature 29 a tendency to revolve in the direction of the arrow 33 in Fig. 3. A pawl 34 secured to the armature 29 is kept in engagement with the ratchet wheel 28 by the spring 35, which is also secured to the armature 29.

Hence, it is evident that if the armature 29 is moved in the direction of the arrow 33. the pawl 31 will cause the ratchet wheel to revolve in the same direction and thus move the pintle 27. The minute hand of the clock is to be attached to the pintle 27, and the hour hand of the clock is to be attached to a sleeve revolubly mounted on the pintle 27 and geared to said pintle in any approved manner. Said hands and gearing being old and well-known in the art have not been illustrated and will not be further referred to.

In order to prevent any movement of the pintle 27 in a direction opposite to the arrow 33, we provide the pawl 36, which is secured to the pintle 37 and the latter is revolubly mounted in plates 15 and 16. The pawl 36 is so shaped that its weight will normally keep its point 38 against the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 28.

The electro-magnetic mechanism of our improved clock is constructed as follows ze provide a cast irofi yoke 39 which has two downward extensions LO-40 provided with slots ll-41. To the yoke 39, we secure magnet cores 42 and 43 by screws such as 44. Each of said magnetic cores is provided with a pair of magnet heads 4545 and between said heads, coils of insulated wire, one of which is shown at 46, are wound.

Secured to the yoke 39 by screws such as 47, are the portions .48l8 of the frame of the electro-magnetic mechanism. Extending forwardly and downwardly and formed integrally with the portions 48-48 are two portions 49%9, which terminate at their ends in two downwardly extending portions 50-5(), and the latter are joined together at their ends by the portion 51. Forwardly ex tending lugs are formed integrally with the portions 50-50, and each of said lugs is provided with a slot, one of which is shown at 53, in Figs. 2 and 5, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

At the junctures of the portions 5050 with the cross piece 51, lugs 54 and 55 are provided. Each of said lugs-is provided with a central hole in which an insulating bushing is placed. Insulating washers 56 56* 6-56 are placed on the front of the ugs 54 and 55, and on the rear of the portions 5( 50.

The post 57 is provided with a reduced portion 58 which passes through the insulating bushing on the interior of the lug 55, the washers 5656, one of the connectors 59, and on the ends of the reduced portion 5%, nuts such as 6060 are threaded which serve to keep the post 57 and the corresponding connector 59 in place.

A screw 61 has a threaded portion which fits in a thread provided in the post 57. The screw 61 has a smooth body portion between its head and the post 57 upon which is revolubly mounted the insulating lever 62.

Referring to Fig. 10, and especially to the full lines in Fig. 10, it will be noted that the lever 62 is provided with a portion 63 extending to the left of the screw 61, with a portion 64 substantially concentric with the screw 61, with a notch 65 in the concentric portion 64 and with a portion 66, which is also concentric with the screw 61 but closer thereto than is the portion 64. A notch such as 67 is provided between the concentric portions 66 and the rightwardly extending arm 67 of the lever 62. A screw 68 is threaded in the end of the arm 67, and said screw is provided with a body portion for a purpose hereinafter explained.

A link 69 is provided, which is revolubly mounted at its upper end upon the pin 70. The pin 70 fits snugly in a hole provided in the armature 29 and, (as shown in Fig. 8), the pin 70 has a cylindrical portion 71 adapted to fit in a hole in the armature 29 and a large cylindrical portion 72 upon which the link 69 works. The pin 70 is provided with a slot through the portions 71 and 72 so that the portion 71 will snugly fit the hole in the armature 29 and so that said pin can readily be removed therefrom when the time train is to be disconnected from the electro-magnetic mechanism.

The lower end of the link 69 is provided with a slot 72 which embraces the body portion of the screw 68. At its lower ortion, the link 69 is provided with a stud 3 upon which is mounted a cam 74 formed inte-v grally with a lever 75.

The lug 54 is provided with a hole and an insulating bushing is secured in said hole. A screw having a head 76 has its body portion passed through the bushing in thelug 54 and the insulating washers 5656 on the front of said lug and on the rear of the juncture of the portions 50-5O and cross piece 51. The rear end of said screw is threaded the same as is shown at 58 in Fig. 2 with reference to the threaded portion of the post 57 and on said threaded portion is mounted a connector 59, which is secured in place by nuts similar to 60-60,' shown in Fig. 2. The connectors 59-59 are each formed of two strips of flat metal which arebent as shown in Fig. 2, and lie together substantially throughout their length. The front ends, as at 77, of the connectors 59-59 are beveled as shown in Fig. 2.

Between the head 76 and the front washer 56 on the lug 5-1 there is clamped the portion 78 of the support for the spring 79 of the contact maker.

Two outwardly extending portions 80 and 81 are formed integrally with the portion 78. Two prongs 82-82 are formed integrally with the portion 81, and a rightwardly extending portion 83 between the prongs 82-82 is formed integrally with the portion 81. The portion 82 is provided with a threaded hole in which works the threaded portion of the'screw 81, the point of which rests against the spring 79 and serves toadjust the pressure produced by the free end of said spring. A slot 85, cut in the portion 83, through the hole in which is threaded the screw 81, provides means for preventing the inadvertent loosening of the screw 84.

Two prongs, in all respects similar to the prongs 82-82, and one of which is shown at 86, in Figs, 1 and 3, are formed integrally with the portion 81. The portions 80 and 81 are provided with holes in line with each other, in which is slidably mounted the screw 87. The screw 87 is provided with an enlarged portion 88 having a slot in which is soldered the wide portion 89 of the spring 79. The enlarged portion 89 slides between the prongs 82-82 and 86-86 by which means the spring 7 9 is prevented fromturning from the position shown in the figures.

.A spring 90 is placed upon the screw 87 be toward the right, which is resisted by the nut 91.

From the juncture of the portions 96-96,

the leg 26 extends backwardly and is provided with a foot 97 having a screw hole 98'.

The mechanism of our improved clock, is

to be attached to the case by screws passing through the slots 41-41 and the hole 98.

A riser 99 is provided at the juncture of the portions 96-96 for the back plate 16 of the time train to. rest upon as shown in Fig.

The riser 99 is provided. with a threaded hole in which is screwed the threa-uled portion 100 of a wing screw 101.

The back plate 16 of the time train (see Fig. 6), is provided with a slot 102 for the reception of the threaded portion 100 of the wing screw 101 and with two notches formed by the edges 103-103 and 101-101. The edges 101-101 fit against the faces 105-105 of the lugs and the edges 103-103 extend into the slots 53-53.

Our improved clock is connected as follows The inside ends of the coils surrounding the cores -12 and 13 are joined to ether. The outside end of the coil surrounding the core -13 is connected to the post 57. The outside end of the coil surrounding the core 42 is connected to a source of electricity and the other terminal of said source is connected to the screw 76 Hence it is evident that if a piece of wire or sheet metal is introduced between the beveled edges 77 of one of the connectors 59 and then touched to the other connector 59, the circuit will be closed and the magnetic cores 12 and 13 will attract the armature 29 and pull it around in a direction opposite to the arrow 33, in Fig. 1, until it assumes a position in which the magnetism of said cores can no longer move said armature.

It is evident that if the maximum movement of the armature 29 is to be obtained, during the operation of our improved clock, from the attraction of said armature, that the circuit must be opened when the armature has reached the position with reference to the cores just described, so that the inertia ofsaid armature can carry it beyond said position.

Hence in adjusting our improved clock, we place a piece of metal between the connectors 59-59 and when the armature 29 has ceased moving under the influence of 'the magnetism of the cores 42 and 43, and

while said cores are still magnetized we move the lever 7 5 attached to the cam 74 in either direction, so as to move the screw 68 in the lever 62 either upwardly or downwardly, until the face 106 of the lever 62 between the concentric portions 64 and 66, acts sufficiently upon the curved portion 92 of the spring 79 as to separate the platinum contact 93 from the platinum contact 91. The pressure of the curved portion 92 can be regulated as desired, by the screw 81 and the position of the contact 93 with reference to the contact 9i can be adjusted by turning the nut 91.

When it is desired to remove the time train from the electro-magnetic mechanism,

the pin is removed from the armature 29, the wing screw 101 is unscrewed and removed, then the back plate 16 can be re moved, fromthe slots 53-53.

. nection with the contact 94 so as to permit' The operation of our improved clock is as follows:

The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the latinum contacts 93 and 94 will be in electrical connection with each other, a current of electricity will circulate through the coils surrounding the cores 42 and 43, and the armature will be attracted so as to move in the direction opposite to the arrow 33 in Figs. 1 and 3. As the armature 29 moves, the link 69 will be drawn upwardly and the cam 74 acting against the bod of the screw 68 will move the lever 62 in a counter clockwise direction until the face 106, (see Fig. 10), strikes the curved portion 94 of the sprin 79 and separates the platinum contacts. he inertia of the armature 29 and attached parts will carr said armait can freely pass said cores), and the curved.

portion 94 of the spring 79 will drop into the notch of the lever 62, and hold said lever in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 10, when the link 69 moves downwardly as hereinafter explained. When the lever 62 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3, as just described, the end of said lever 63 is provided and so. located asto strike the spring 79 and prevent the lever 62 from being moved so far in a counter clockwise direction by its inertia, as to move the notch 65 beyond the curved portion 94: of the spring 79.

The spring 30 then acts upon the armature 29 and moves it and the ratchet wheel 28 in the direction of the arrow 33, in Fig. 3. This motion continues until the top 107 of the slot 72 strikes the body of the screw 68 and moves it from the position shown in Fig. 1, to the-position shown dotted in Fig. 10. Then the pressure of the spring 79 acting on the face 106 of the lever 62 forces said lever rapidly to the position shown in Fig. 1,'thus permitting the pressure of the spring 79 to bring the contact 93 into electrical cona current of electricity to circulate in the coils surrounding the cores 42 and 43. This starts a new'operation of the armature 29 and the succeeding operations are all carried out according to the cycle just explained.

\Ve claim 1. The combination of a time train including a pintle and a ratchet wheel secured to said pintle, with an armature revolubly mounted on said pintle, a pawl mounted on said armature and engaging said ratchet wheel, a spring for moving said armature in one direction and a-source of electricity and an electro-magnet for moving said armature in the opposite direction, said armature and electromagnets being so disposed that when said armature is over the poles of said magnets, the attracting force of said magnets shall act upon said armature in a direction parallel to the axis of said pintle.

2. The combination with an armature, a source of electricity, an electric circuit and a magnet in said circuit for moving said armature in one direction, of a lever, a link connected to said armature, a screw in said lever, a slot in said link embracing said screw, a cam revolubly mounted on said link and extending across said slot whereby the working length of said slot can be varied, a spring for moving said a mature in the opposite direction and a clock. train moved by said spring.

3. The combination with an armature, a source of electricity, an electric circuit and a magnet in said circuit for moving said armature in one direction, of a lover, a link connecting said armature and said lever, a supporthaving a bearing on which said 'lever is revolubly mounted, a fixed contact mounted on said support, a spring moved by said lever, a contact carried by said spring and adapted to make contact with said fixed contact, a spring for moving said armature in the opposite direction and a clock train moved by said spring.

4. The combination of a time train including the pintle and a. ratchet wheel secured to said intle, with an armature revolubly mounted on said pintle, a pawl mounted on said armature and engaging said ratchet wheel, -a spring for moving said armature in one direction, a source of electricity and an electro-magnet for moving said armature in the opposite direction, a lever moved by said armature and having a cylindrical surface provided with a notch and also having mounted on said pintle, a pawl mounted on said armature and engaging said ratchet wheel, a spring for moving said armature in one direction, a source of electricity and an electromagnet for moving saidarmature in the opposite direction, a lever moved by said armature, a support provided with a fixed contact, a spring moved by said lever and having a contact adapted to touch said fixed contact, and a slidable support for said. spring.

6. The combination of a time train includinga pintle and-a ratchet wheel mounted on said pintle, with an armature revolubly mounted on said pin'tle, a pawl mounted on having a contact adapted to touch said fixed said armature and engaging said ratchet contact, a slidable support for said spring, 10 wheel, a spring for moving said annature in and means for preventing-said spring from one direction, it source of electricity and an turning.

electromagnet for moving said armature in In testimony whereof we affix our signathe opposite direction, a lever moved by said tures.

urnmturc, a support provided with a fixed GUSTAV BLUMBERG. contact, a spring moved by said lever and JOHN A. BUTKUS. 

